autoschediastic asseverations

I haven’t done a feel good friday for awhile, and have a bit to tell you, so thought I’d combine them into one thing. I’m feeling good this Friday for one reason, and one reason alone. Well not really, but it’s the only one I’m writing about! Warning, this is long…so grab a cuppa and take notes. There’ll be a test next week to see if you actually paid attention

I started my new job on Monday. Which was great. Well except for the part where babe is away at the moment and the poor bugger had to listen to my enthusiastic and very fast tirade on what I’d done from the minute I got there to the minute I left. Usually talking on the phone isn’t a problem, however on Monday night he didn’t have the advantage of lipreading to help him understand me! And that’s why I love him, cos he let me just go on and on and on and never said anything except ask enough questions to indicate he had in fact been listening and uh huh’d and yeah’d in all the right places. Anyone who has seen me when I’m like that will understand just how hard it is to follow my words!!

Anyway, moving on. I work for a council now. As a trainee in their parks department. I’m one of only two girls who were hired in this particular intake, the other girl went into the other department. I only mention the girl thing because being one of about 10 girls in a department of about 150 is a good thing….and when you think that 2 out of 12 were hired as part of the trainee thing, we beat the odds hey! Only one of us should have been hired according to current statistics..

Now most of you -well the aussies anyway, not sure about elsewhere on this little planet of ours- will have the stereotypical image of what exactly a council worker is….the shorts that are too small both in the belly and butt regions leaving not enough to the imagination, standing on a shovel with 4 blokes around him all laughing or pretending they are discussing the hole that is only half finished. SLACKER is generally the word that comes to mind. And of course there are those within most councils to whom that would apply. But you would also find them in your local maccas, and at the hardware store and I’m sure if you really think hard enough you will be able to come up with a name of two of SLACKERS who you have worked with at one time or another.

Let me just say tell you one thing. I AM NOT A SLACKER. I rang one morning to say I would be a few minutes late, even though they know it’s a possibility every single day that Tony is away. I was excited these last two mornings because I didn’t have to wait for an hour for the boss to do what he has to do every morning and drive me to where I would be working today. I feel guilty about sitting round literally just waiting till knock off time, even though that is what the boss has said. Now when I say BOSS, I could be talking about one of three different people, but I’m not going to confuse you with the details, I’m still trying to figure it all out myself! But you get the general idea. I am not, and never will be, what some of you think of when you think of ‘your typical council worker.’

Having said that, given time, and the right attitude, I could become one. Unfortunately like most large organisations that employ hundreds of people in a large variety of departments, there is a lot of paperwork, and strict adherence to rules/regulations. It is these things that create SOME of the attitude and sub-culture of council workers. Of course I am generalising which is unfair seeing as how I have only had literally one weeks experience in said sub-culture and not all councils will necessarily be the same. I guess my point is this. The system itself is what creates the slacker mentality, and if I’m not careful I could very easily fall victim to it. I guess forewarned is forearmed though so I don’t really have any excuse do I? I am aware of the “potential hazard or quality issue” and have already set in place several “controls” in order to ensure that the chances of encountering said “potential hazard or quality issue” are minimised. Can you tell I’ve been reading some of the trees Safe Work Method Statements we were given during induction already?!!! I’m a quick learner hey!

It hasn’t all been slacking off, OH&S and lunch though. I’ve actually done a fair bit of work too. Manual work. I’m going to build up muscle. Eventually. Right now I’m simply going to wake up tomorrow and wonder who beat the crap out of my upper arms and chest. Here’s a sample of just some of things I’ve been doing:

• Picking up garbage, which isn’t as bad as it sounds and could be a whole post on it’s own with some of the things I’ve learned you can find on the side of the road,
• Watering, which doesn’t sound real interesting - until your doing it in a main street in a city with water restrictions and pissed off curious members of the public abuse you and demand to know query why you can and they can’t cos it’s not Wednesday or Sunday before 9am or after 4pm which is when you are allowed to hose your garden,
• Pruning trees - and I’m not talking a few small stray twigs here, I’m talking branches that are so big that you could insert them into the ground and they look like a whole other tree,

There has been a little more, but those were the main ones, and besides, it was only my first week and it took them till Wednesday to decide and inform me as to where they wanted me on Tuesday….hehehehe. Not really, but it does appear as though they aren’t quite sure what to do with us all now that they have us.

Enough for now. I could literally write all night with some of the experiences I’ve had this week. But I do need to save something for next week don’t I?! The good thing is, I have no doubts that many a story or thought or experience will be shared here at No Regrets as I journey into the unknown…..nothing like something completely new to create fog blodder bog flewder blog fodder is there?! Please don’t tell me if I bore you too much with it though. My current excitement and enthusiasm is likely to come through the screen and belt you one. Straight after morning tea that is

Cheers, Kelly

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